Broncos Make History in Split at Miami

OXFORD, Ohio - Western Michigan scored the most runs it ever has against a Mid-American Conference opponent in the Broncos' 15-2 win over Miami to open Friday's doubleheader at the MU Softball Stadium.

The last time Western Michigan scored more than 15 runs in a game, the Broncos took out Ole Miss, 21-16, to open the 2010 season with a win. The last time WMU plated double digit runs against a MAC foe was on April 27, 2012 when it scored 11 at Toledo.

Neither team could get any offense going until WMU broke with two runs in the top of the fourth. Colleen Lynch hit her first home run as a Bronco, a two-run shot that scored Diana Patterson, who led off the frame with a single up the middle.

Patterson had a day of days in game one against Miami, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored, four RBIs and her seventh career home run. The four hits, three runs and four RBIs are all new single-game career highs for Patterson. Her home run was a three-run shot that capped a nine-run inning for the Broncos that broke the game open in the top of the seventh.

WMU came back with four more runs in the fifth. Elisha Handshoe pinch hit for Marleen Rodriguez and reached on an error. Melissa Palmer, who went 3-for-5, singled to third base. Christina Pigozzi, also going 3-for-5 and reaching base safely in her 16th-straight game, singled to the catcher to load the bases. Her streak would end their as she would go 0-for-4 in the night cap.

Sabrina Gamboa registered her 10th multi-RBI game of her freshman season with a two-RBI single. She was followed by Patterson singling down the left field line. Jenny Rohn, who was the fourth Bronco to have multiple hits in the opener (2-for-4), drive a single to center field for the final run of the inning for WMU.

Miami was not allowed a hit by starting pitcher Becca Shemberger until the first batter in the home half of the fifth inning. She would end up allowing just two hits in a game where she started and finished for the first time in her career, allowing just one earned run and fanning eight.

The two runs scored by the Red Hawks in the bottom of the sixth did cut the lead to four but the Broncos' nine runs in the top of the seventh removed any doubt as the Western Michigan picked up its second win of the young MAC season.

In the seventh, Mackenzie Shepeck pinch hit for Gamboa and led off with a single. Patterson followed with a single and Loren Nagy loaded the bases by reaching on a fielding error.

Lynch recorded her career best third RBI of the day, reaching on a fielder's choice and Rohn followed with an RBI double. Caty Pixley brought home two more runs with a single to left field. The Broncos batted around in the inning with Shepeck reaching again, this time on a fielding error and with two runners aboard, Patterson crushed her first home run of the year over the left field wall.

Miami earned the split with a 5-1 win in the night cap on the strength of four runs in the home half of the first and a lead off home run in the bottom of the fifth. Western Michigan scratched across its lone run of the second game in the top of the second.

Trailing 4-0, Nagy singled through the right side to reach base safely for the 12-straight game. She advanced on Lynch's sacrifice bunt. Rohn singled to the shortstop to put runners on the corners allowing Emma Bogart to drive in a run two batters later on a base hit up the middle.

Western Michigan travels to Muncie, Ind., looking to give the Ball State softball team its first loss of this conference season. Saturday's game is at 2 p.m., and Sunday's is at 1 p.m. Live stats and video are available via www.wmubroncos.com for free.